Month: September 2018

One of the things I never tire of saying here is that two things can be true at the same time.

The latest seemingly contradictory duet?

Well, it is true that the next few days in Birmingham matter a lot to the Tory party – and to whether the prime minister’s vision of Brexit survives the next few weeks and its passage through Parliament in the Autumn.

It is also true that what happens in Birmingham is not where the crucial moving parts really are.

Despite all the clamour and genuine unhappiness in parts of the Tory party about the Chequers compromise – the anger that it is a “betrayal” of the vote, along with more tepid frustration that if we end up in a half in/half out situation – what was the point of it at all?

It is, cabinet ministers say privately, “crazy”, “unrealistic”, “pointless”, to suggest that there is a real chance of changing her fundamental position right now.

Of course, the precise shape of the Brexit deal is not yet set.

But the view at the top of government is that it is simply too late for any kind of dramatic redrafting.

Remember, after all, it took more than two years to get to this point of compromise.

Remember too, that the EU is well aware that the PM is not going to shift, if she does indeed compromise further, until after this week.

That’s one of the reasons why the unexpected rebuff at the Salzburg summit was such a surprise, after an unwritten deal had been done not to rock the boat until after the Tory conference.

The real action, the real drama will play out in the next three weeks between our negotiators and the senior actors in the UK government and Brussels and members of the EU.

There is a sense here that the big conversation is happening elsewhere.

Where of course the next few days do matter, is in setting the general mood and direction of the Tory party in the next few months.

That will of course have an impact on MPs who will have to make their decisions about an eventual deal in Parliament through this Autumn.

Ministers joke that getting to a deal with Brussels might end up being the easy bit.

Without a majority, Number 10 can’t be sure they will be able to get a deal through.

The government machine expects that they will probably have the numbers – that MPs ultimately with the choice of a deal, or potential chaos, will choose something that looks more stable.

But they can’t guarantee that entirely. And MPs who might be swithering in the middle do, and will in the coming weeks, listen to the views of their party members.

Expectations of the conference this week are low. Ministers are braced for a very bumpy week.

But the most critical conversations are yet to be had and may well not take place here at all.

Newspaper headlines: ‘Brexit divisions erupt’ amid ‘Tory backlash’

By BBC NewsStaff

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Most of Monday’s front pages focus on the divisions among the Tories over Brexit. The Guardian says this divide overshadowed the first day of the party conference. It reports the PM appealed to MPs and the party’s grassroots to back her Chequers plan and she hit back at Boris Johnson saying: “I do believe in Brexit.”

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“Boris will never be PM, says Hammond,” is the Daily Mail’s headline. It reports that Chancellor Philip Hammond said the former foreign secretary Boris Johnson was incapable of “grown-up” politics and did not know how his own Brexit deal proposal would work.

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The i says leading Conservatives have launched an attack on Boris Johnson at the beginning of the party conference. It also reports that the PM has insisted she believes in Brexit and may compromise with Brussels on a deal.

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The Metro also leads on Boris Johnson, who the paper says has been rebuked for his latest attack on the PM’s Brexit plan. Mr Johnson called the proposal “deranged” in a Sunday newspaper interview. Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson tells the paper that the word was a poor choice and a “period of silence” from Mr Johnson would be welcome.

Image copyrightAlamy

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The Daily Telegraph leads on comments from Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who has compared the EU to the Soviet Union. He said that if the EU punishes Britain for Brexit, other countries will “want to escape”. Mr Hunt warned the EU that it would stir Britain’s “Dunkirk spirit” if it tried to force a bad deal on Theresa May, the paper says.

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The Financial Times reports that Business Secretary Greg Clark will trigger a review into Britain’s business practices. The paper says Mr Clark has raised concerns about the ways companies had used personal data to exploit customers, such as energy groups imposing higher charges on loyal customers who fail to shop around.

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The Times reports the sisters of PC Keith Palmer, who was stabbed to death by Khalid Masood in last year’s Westminster attack, have accused Scotland Yard of blocking their quest for the truth at his inquest. They say their questions about vulnerabilities in parliamentary security have been ignored.

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The Daily Express says a former IRA gunman has giving his backing to the paper’s campaign to end what it calls a witch-hunt against British veterans of the Troubles. Henry Robinson has called on the PM to stop the prosecution of elderly veterans over historical incidents.

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The Daily Mirror says the Tories are planning NHS cuts of £2.7bn, which it says would pay for 61,500 nurses. The paper reports that Theresa May will take the money from the health budget over two years to cover rising pension costs.

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The Sun says Cristiano Ronaldo apologised to a model after raping her in 2009, according to court documents the paper has seen. The footballer denies the alleged attack.

He is also at a team that creates a lot of scoring opportunities. According to Opta, City created 129 ‘big changes’ last season, 20 more than Liverpool in second place.

But Aguero faces intense competition for places, with Gabriel Jesus a direct rival for his spot, while hamstring and knee injuries have forced him to miss games at regular intervals during his City career.

How Aguero has scored his goals

Right foot – 108

Left foot – 26

Headers – 14

Penalties – 22

Inside box – 130

Outside box – 18

How does he compare to the other top scorers?

Shearer is some way clear of the rest of the field, with Rooney second on 208 goals.

Aguero is 10th on the all-time scoring list, but – fitness permitting – is likely to move up several places this season.

He has scored five goals in seven league appearances this season – and has scored at least 20 in each of the previous four Premier League seasons.

If he hits the 20-goal mark this season, he would equal Robbie Fowler in sixth place with 163 goals.

The national disaster agency has announced plans for mass graves and one that was being dug on Sunday night is expected to hold at least 300 bodies.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited the region to urge a “day and night” effort to rescue survivors.

Patients and corpses side by side

By Rebecca Henschke, BBC News, Palu

Lying on a stretcher in the dark outside the Mamboro health clinic in Palu is a five-year-old girl with a broken leg. She was found alone, Doctor Sasono tells me. “We don’t know where her family is and she doesn’t remember where is lives.” His clinic has no power and is running out of medical supplies.

A few metres from her stretcher bed are rows of bodies in bags. The smell of decomposing bodies fills the air.

Dr Sasono says they will be buried in mass graves to stop the spread of diseases: “They are starting to smell. We want to wait for relatives to pick them up but we can’t wait any longer.”

Rows of rubble lie all along the shoreline where vibrant fishing villages once stood.

People’s possessions lie smashed together with cars and boats tossed around by the massive waves. Amid the rubble are tents where families are sleeping out in the open.

How difficult is the rescue work?

Local media report that mobile phone signals have been detected in the rubble of the shopping mall and shouts can be heard under the debris of the Roa Roa Hotel.

One volunteer, Thalib Bawano, told AFP news agency that three people had been rescued from the hotel rubble, where more than 50 people may be trapped.

“We also heard voices at several points, including a child,” he said.

“They were asking for help, but they are still there till now. We gave them motivation… so they can have spirit because they are trapped between life and death.”

“We gave them water and food but that’s not what they wanted. They wanted to get out. ‘We want to get out, out, out. Help! Help!’ they kept screaming. That’s what we heard. Some were just knocking.”

Blocked roads, a damaged airport and broken telecommunications have made it difficult to bring help into the affected area.

What are the other challenges?

Survivors of the disaster have been sleeping in the open, wary of returning to their homes, even if they are still intact.

With hospitals damaged, injured people have been treated in the open and at least one military field hospital has been set up.

The military has taken over the airport to fly aid in, and injured people and other evacuees out.

“What you’ll see, you know, as the days go by and people don’t have access to adequate hygiene supplies, shelter, you’ll see the situation deteriorate if they don’t get that access so, we’ve sent shelter kits,” Tom Howells, programme director for Save The Children, said on Sunday.

Image copyrightReuters

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Military aircraft have been evacuating some of the injured

Image copyrightEPA

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A shattered mosque in Palu

Power is down in much of the area and so are mobile phone signals. Very little has been heard from other communities along the coast, which are also likely to have been hit hard by the tsunami.

Ryder Cup 2018: Captain Thomas Bjorn and the European team lift the Ryder Cup

As Rory McIlroy and his Ryder Cup-winning team-mates basked in the success of their victory over the United States on Sunday, it emerged the spirit in the European team was epitomised by one thing – a “love-in” on their group WhatsApp chat.

With glasses of fizz in hand amid a party atmosphere transferred from the 18th green at Le Golf National, McIlroy told a news conference he didn’t even have the messaging service before the week began.

After being coaxed into downloading it to communicate with the rest of his Team Europe colleagues when they met up on Monday, he’s now a convert.

“Thorbjorn Olesen didn’t chime in for a while,” joked McIlroy, before Sergio Garcia said the Dane would do now after winning his match against Jordan Spieth as Europe regained the Ryder Cup with an emphatic 17½-10½ victory over the United States.

“We’ve had this WhatsApp group going for a while which was one big love-in,” said McIlroy. “That was a big part of it. We all get along so well.

“There’s something about this group of guys. There’s a continuity in our group that maybe the other side don’t quite have.

“The rookies in our team we’ve known for a long time. The great camaraderie we have is built up on the European Tour. It was such a good week.”

‘Underdog mentality’ suited Europe – McIlroy

Thomas’ tattoo promise

The Americans headed to the Versailles venue as strong favourites, but captain Thomas Bjorn armed his players with an added incentive to regain the Ryder Cup – the promise of a tattoo.

“We had an extra bit of motivation this week,” said Ian ‘The Postman’ Poulter, draped in his country’s flag.

Quizzed what that might be, McIlroy jumped in: “There could be a visit to a tattoo parlour coming for Mr Bjorn.”

Justin Rose asked his captain whether it was going to be a sketch of the winning score, and when asked where and what size it should be, McIlroy added: “As big as possible!”

“It’s the worst decision I made all week,” said Bjorn, admitting he had agreed to get inked in a place only his partner, Grace, should witness.

Bjorn added: “Some people say golf is boring. Well, this is certainly not boring. I’ve experienced a lot of Ryder Cups but this is the top one.”

‘Postman’ Poulter delivers again

Ian Poulter won two points from his four games at this year’s Ryder Cup

Poulter is nicknamed ‘The Postman’ because he “always delivers”. He did just that again on Sunday, the wildcard pick seeing off world number one Dustin Johnson.

Poulter was met with adulation by the fans on the outskirts of Paris, and even nabbed one fan’s letterbox outfit to don for the celebrations on the 18th green.

“I might go and post some letters when I get home,” the beaming Englishman chuckled, before suggesting he would get the costume framed.

Praising his captain, Poulter added: “Thomas has been extremely calm all week. He’s allowed us all to be very relaxed and understands every player on a personal level.”

World number two Rose momentarily brought the news conference back to a serious note.

“What this team did was not drop their guard until this moment right here,” he said.

“We ticked every single box all week long. Our focus was unbelievable.”

‘Moliwood’ bromance continues

Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari became known as ‘Moliwood’

Francesco Molinari wrote himself into Ryder Cup folklore with five points from five matches, the last of those tipping Europe over the magic 14½ mark as he beat veteran Phil Mickelson.

Four of Molinari’s points came with Tommy Fleetwood at his side, and the Lancastrian blew kisses as his team-mate was quizzed by the media.

Molinari, who clinched his first major at the age of 35 by winning the Open earlier this year, became the first European player to compile a perfect 5-0 record at the Ryder Cup.

But he was quick to distance himself from being the hero, saying he was due points in the competition having previously failed to register a win in two Ryder Cups.

“My summer has been great, but it’s about these guys,” said Molinari.

“I’ve been on tour winning things, doing a little bit and not a lot, my record [at Ryder Cups] was shocking coming into this week so statistically there was a good chance of winning some points.”

Fleetwood chirped up, with a chuckle: “You’re so full of yourself!”

Molinari fired back: “I love Tommy. We need to spend more time together.”

He added: “It’s been intense, but the adrenaline is so much you could keep going.

“It’s not about individuals, it’s about the other guys on the team. The atmosphere we created, I don’t feel any difference from bringing five points or one point.

“It doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win the cup.”

Tears, cheers & beer for Europe

Sergio Garcia: “I don’t usually cry, but I couldn’t help it. What a week. It’s been a rough year, but we fought hard. I’m so thankful to Thomas Bjorn for believing in me.”

Francesco Molinari: “This means more than majors, more than anything.”

Ian Poulter on Twitter: “As a parent, these moments we get to spend with one another sometimes are few and far between, Luke, but when moments like this come around, I was not letting you down today.”

Henrik Stenson: “We played our hearts out – that’s why we are here standing with the Ryder Cup. I played my best round of golf this week.”

Rory McIlroy: “We took a really tough loss in Hazeltine a couple of years ago. People questioned the picks and quality and we showed this week our cohesiveness and togetherness.”

Tiger Woods: “I’m one of the contributing factors to why we lost the cup, and it’s not a lot of fun.”

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Police were called by paramedics to a house in Carpenters Lane just after 07:40 BST on Saturday

The family of a mother and daughter who died in a stabbing in a Kent village have said they are “too shocked” to comprehend their loss.

Margaret Harris, in her 70s, and her daughter Sharon, in her 50s, died at their home in Hadlow early on Saturday.

Margaret’s husband David needed to be airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after also being stabbed.

Jack Ralph, 28, from Hadlow, has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder and one of attempted murder.

Mr Ralph, of Carpenters Lane, is due to appear before Medway magistrates on Monday.

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Forensic teams were sent to the scene in Hadlow

Doris Pope, the sister of Margaret Harris, said: “We are just too shocked and haven’t quite come to terms with it.”

Neighbours described the stabbing as “truly horrific” and something that had “rocked” the “quiet and friendly” village near Tonbridge.

One local resident, Margaret Maile, 63, described the couple as “quiet but pleasant”.

“They’ve lived here longer than us and we’ve been here 32 years,” she said.

“It’s very sad, you just don’t expect something like this to happen here.”

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Neighbours said the couple had lived in the area for many years

Nigel Keogh, a 51-year-old plasterer who lives across the street from the victims, described Mr and Mrs Harris as a “nice couple”, adding: “They kept themselves to themselves. They own a big campervan and would go out on trips in it.”

On Sunday, Reverend Paul White led prayers in the street and said the village’s St Mary’s Church was open to mourners all day on Monday.

Following a tragic incident in Hadlow earlier today just to let everyone know that St Mary’s will be open and clergy will be available all day on Monday if anyone wanted to speak or simply to light a candle and pray.

Elsewhere, Cardiff, Newcastle and Huddersfield remain winless as their tough starts to the season continue, and West Ham poured more pain on Manchester United and their manager Jose Mourinho.

But who shone enough to make it into my Team of the Week?

Goalkeeper – Alisson

Having played with three of the greatest goalkeepers who ever lived – Gordon Banks, Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence – I know what makes a great one. They were all unflappable. Once they put a pair of gloves on, they became as cool as ice.

The same seems to be true of Alisson. The Brazil international made two crucial saves from Willian in the opening exchanges of Liverpool’s draw at Chelsea, and kept out Eden Hazard later in the game. You clearly get what you pay for.

Did you know? Alisson’s save percentage is 84.21% this season. Only Bernd Leno (100%) and Paulo Gazzaniga (88.89%) can top that, but Leno has only made one substitute appearance, and Gazzaniga has played just twice

Defenders – Antonio Rudiger, Harry Maguire, Danny Rose

Antonio Rudiger: I’ve steadily grown in admiration for this player during the time he’s been at Chelsea, and so have their supporters. To hear the occasional cry of ‘Rudi!’ around Stamford Bridge, a sign of the fans’ approval of another crunching tackle or a powerful header, is quite a compliment.

Rudiger hardly gave Liverpool’s holy trinity – Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino – a kick. That is bordering on the miraculous.

Did you know? Rudiger made 71 passes in Chelsea’s draw with Liverpool. Only Jorginho made more for the Blues (73).

Harry Maguire: If you want to know why Leicester beat Newcastle United and kept a clean sheet at the same time, you need look no further than Harry Maguire. His tackle on Ayoze Perez when the striker only had the goalkeeper to beat was timed to perfection.

Maguire then caused pandemonium in the Newcastle penalty area, leaving referee Simon Hooper no choice but to award Leicester a penalty, before scoring a powerful header. In short, he was too strong and too good for Newcastle. Read why I think this fabulous north east club is in crisis in the Crooks of the Matter below.

Did you know? Maguire recovered possession on nine occasions against Newcastle – the most of any Leicester City player.

Danny Rose: For the second consecutive week, Danny Rose makes my selection. His determination to get into the opponents’ box in order to affect the game was, once again, sensational against Huddersfield.

It was Rose who forced Florent Hadergjonaj to panic in the box, which resulted in a penalty. Harry Kane applied the finishing touch as usual.

Did you know? Rose made five tackles and gained possession on 10 occasions – the most of any Spurs player.

Georginio Wijnaldum: This player has suffered from being in a team that has so many outstanding players – he’s hardly been noticed. However, against Chelsea, Wijnaldum had one of the best 90 minutes of football I have seen him have in years.

Liverpool’s front three were firing blanks, and James Milner and Jordan Henderson spent much of their time chasing Eden Hazard around Stamford Bridge, but Wijnaldum held it all together for the Reds in midfield. He had a great game.

Did you know? Wijnaldum completed 53 of his 59 passes against Chelsea (89.8%) – the best accuracy of any Liverpool player.

Mark Noble: I did tell you that if West Ham held their nerve they wouldn’t have a problem staying in the Premier League. Their first four games without a win might have sent lesser clubs into panic mode, but I’ve seen Mark Noble wrestle unruly West Ham fans to the ground and remind the rest to watch their Ps and Qs.

Does that sound like a player that is easily intimidated? Noble gave another captain’s performance against a beleaguered Manchester United – much to the delight of those who have a problem with Jose Mourinho.

Did you know? Noble made more passes than any other West Ham player against Manchester United (67), while also providing an assist.

Gylfi Sigurdsson: It never ceases to amaze me when players with wonderful ability score the more technical and difficult goals but struggle with the simple tap-ins. Gylfi Sigurdsson failed to convert a penalty against Fulham but scored two beautifully taken goals, which looked infinitely more difficult.

Everton need a top-class striker to play alongside Theo Walcott and Richarlison, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin needs more time to develop. Fulham, meanwhile, are struggling to come to terms with the demands of the Premier League.

Did you know? Sigurdsson’s brace against Fulham was also accompanied by five chances created – the most of any Everton player.

Mesut Ozil: Did I see Mesut Ozil wearing the captain’s armband? Now there is innovation. Well done Unai Emery. If you want more out of your player then give him more responsibility.

I must say Arsenal look a much happier bunch under Emery. They are not a title-winning side yet but I think this manager will get Arsenal challenging for honours in the not-too-distant future. This man knows what he’s doing.

Did you know? Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil has scored two goals in his past three Premier League games, as many as he managed in his previous 18.

Forwards – Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane, Marko Arnautovic

Raheem Sterling: I told my son two seasons ago that I thought Raheem Sterling had the ability to compete with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo for the mantle of best player in the world. My son roared with laughter, but he’s an Arsenal fan so what does he know! While that mantle looks like it might currently go to Eden Hazard, Sterling is starting to look in that class.

Against Brighton, Sterling was immense, and the speed with which his game has improved under Pep Guardiola is staggering. If Sterling can do for England what Ronaldo has done for Portugal, then hey presto… the mantle is his.

Did you know? Sterling was directly involved in both of Manchester City’s goals against Brighton (one goal and one assist).

Harry Kane: I still think Harry looks a little jaded from his exploits in the summer, but two goals and three points against Huddersfield will make him feel a whole lot better.

There cannot be a better penalty-taker in the league. He absolutely rattled his spot-kick past Jonas Lossl. However, the harsh truth is that Huddersfield are out of their depth and soon to be out of the league.

Did you know? The England international scored twice against Huddersfield from his three attempts on target.

Marko Arnautovic: There is something of Eric Cantona about Marko Arnautovic – but without the intimidating stare. The only other difference between these two mercurial characters is that one played for Manchester United and the other should have done. In the meantime, Arnautovic ripped United’s “fragile” team to shreds.

Jose Mourinho refers to his team as fragile but what he fails to realise is that it is he who has caused that fragility. You keep humiliating Paul Pogba, your star player, in public and then substitute him in another show of public defiance. Of course he becomes disillusioned and angry and that unsettles the rest. There’s only one winner here, and it’s not you Jose.

Did you know? Since the start of 2018, only Mohamed Salah (24) has had a hand in more Premier League goals than Marko Arnautovic (17 – 10 goals, 7 assists).

Now it’s your turn

You’ve seen my picks this week. But who would you go for?

Pick your XI from our list and share with your friends.

The Crooks of the matter

Have Newcastle’s ‘Ashley Generation’ had enough?

Third from bottom with two points from seven matches and rudely dismissed by Leicester – performances on the pitch have only served to contribute to the anger and frustration fermenting among Newcastle United supporters. The target: owner Mike Ashley; public enemy number one.

Last week, BBC Sport posed this question: ‘Have Newcastle’s Ashley generation had enough?’ Had enough? That’s what boxing referees ask the opponent having just been on the end of a pummelling. The analogy is fitting, because that is precisely how Newcastle fans must feel and it can’t go on.

Newcastle are painful to watch, and on the front and back pages for all the wrong reasons. Ashley has provided Premier League football to an area that is otherwise starved of a top-class football team. He has also brought in a top-class manager. For that he must be applauded, but neither works without serious investment.

The news that former Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon is leading a consortium to take over the Magpies is an exciting prospect. In the interests of everyone concerned, a deal needs to be struck . It’s time the club moved on.